Jack Lew’s 2012 Call for Justice at YU: A Decade of Inaction

A Call for Accountability

Lew, instead of delivering the expected platitudes at the Yeshiva University's largest fundraising event of the year, took it to task. "The alleged behavior is despicable and cannot be tolerated in any place, at any time, and the response must transcend the confines of religious teaching,” Lew said. “Leaders of this and every educational institution have a sacred responsibility under civil law to protect children from any action that might endanger or exploit them.”

Survivors recall the hope that Lew’s comments brought them. “For the first time, it felt like someone with power was listening to us,” recalled one former student, now a plaintiff in the ongoing lawsuits against YU. “We thought maybe, just maybe, this would lead to change.”

The Reality: Legal Maneuvers and Silence

A decade later, survivors argue that YU has done the opposite of what Lew urged. The institution has fought to dismiss lawsuits filed under New York’s Child Victims Act (CVA), which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. After a judge dismissed YU’s motion to throw out two major cases earlier this year, the lawsuits are now proceeding, involving more than 50 plaintiffs alleging sexual abuse at YU’s Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Instead of embracing transparency, YU in 2013 released only a summary report of its internal investigation by Sullivan & Cromwell, a distillation legal scholar Marci Hamilton described at the time as “short on facts and long on public relations.”

“Jack Lew’s words were a call to action, but YU, more than a decade later, still responds with legal maneuvering and public silence,” says a survivor advocate. “It’s a betrayal of survivors and a disservice to the institution’s legacy.”

What Could Have Been

Lew’s 2012 remarks were more than just a critique; they were a roadmap for how Yeshiva University could have led by example. By acknowledging its failures, offering meaningful reparations, and implementing systemic reforms, YU could have emerged as a leader in institutional accountability. Instead, survivors say the university’s actions have compounded their pain.

“For us, it’s not just about the abuse—it’s about the cover-up we are alleging, the denials, and the lack of acknowledgment,” said one plaintiff. “Jack Lew got it right. YU still hasn’t.”

Looking Ahead

As YU prepares to celebrate its centennial Hanukkah Dinner on Dec 15, survivors are left wondering if the institution will ever heed Lew’s call. While the dinner will undoubtedly highlight the university’s accomplishments, the absence of accountability looms large.

“For YU, this is a moment of reckoning,” said a survivor. “They can either continue down the path of denial or honor Jack Lew’s words by doing what’s right.”